Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Get a Glimpse of the Rich Life at the Mini Time Machine Museum

There is, perhaps, nothing more adorable in this world than an entire museum of meticulously designed and arranged miniatures, and, of course, Tucson has that market totally covered. Obviously, I'm talking about the maddeningly cute Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures.

Well, the museum just premiered a brand new exhibit that features famous historical figures and the bling that they loved. The "Diamonds are Forever" exhibit opened Jan. 27 and will run until April 19. The exhibit seeks to showcase the "incredible journeys of world-famous diamonds and the people who owned them," including the brand new Evalyn Walsh McLean figure.

In case you aren't familiar with McLean, she's the American mining heiress who last privately owned the Hope Diamond—an enormous 45.52 carat rock. According to the museum, McLean's fancy, gaudy gem came with a unique warning, though:

Mrs. McLean purchased the 45.52 carat Hope Diamond from Cartier in Paris in 1911. Her purchase may have been influenced by intrigue over the alleged curse the stone carried. McLean's flamboyant ownership of the stone (it is rumored she let her pet poodle wear it at parties), continued until her death in 1947. Harry Winston Inc. acquired the stone when they purchased McLean's entire jewelry collection, and eventually donated it to the Smithsonian Institution. The stone's previous history, dating back to the 1600s, is told through other Historical Figures in the exhibit- including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

You can check it out at the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, located at 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and military, $6 for youths under 18, and free for small children three and under. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, visit the museum's website.